THE body o the kirk sae tae speik micht no be awaur o the wheen o ploys that’s gaun oan tae gie a heize tae the Scots leid the nou. We hae jist hud the braw Scots Language Awards event whaur champions o Scots wir gien weel desairved tassies fir their wark in media, culture an leeterature – promotin Scots oan the national an international stage.

Some kenspeckle figures oan the sindry bodies that offeeshully promote Scots; SLC, SLS, SND, ASLS, etc, are aa tyauvin awa contributin their ain projects an initiatives fir Scots; mair o that anon…

An oor politeecians tae are addin their michty voices tae the cause…! Nane mair sae than wir twa Dumfries & Gallowa MSPs, Emma Harper an Joan McAlpine.

Emma speiks in a braw Gallowa Scots that ye cuidnae steer wi a pairritch spurtle! The kind o Scots that wid sit geyan weel in ony SR Crockett novel, an hus the souch o whaups fleein ower the heather cled muirlands o the Machars, mindin ye o hame. She is a richt credit tae her cauf kintra o Stranraer.

As Emma says o current developments; “Mibbie the Scots Leid Planets is aa in alignment!

“Fae gingin tae the first Scots Language Awards ben the Mitchell Library in Glesga, tae then supportin an spikkin fir the Scots Language motion, owerwhelminly backit aff o SNP memmers at pairty conference at Aiberdeen, cryin fir the Scottish Government fir tae stert a Scots Language Buird, sib tae the Bord Na Gahligh – it’s aa gingin brawly.

“A’m fair pleased thit we’r makkin siccar progress fir tae reconvene the Scots Language Cross Pairty Group, active in the session previous an convenit bi ma frien an former MSP Rob Gibson fae Wick. A’m discussions the noo wi the likely secretariat fir the group, an howp fir tae tak the request tae the Staanarts Committee – thit’ll approve the request fir the re-establishment o this gey important CPG tae tak forret wir leid.”

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This return o the Cross Pairty Group is a walcum declaratioun o offeeshul support fir Scots frae oor Government.

Then we hae the new generation o bonnie young fechters sic as Jack Capener. Jack is ettlin oan a career as a legal academic, an scrieves wi passion anent the pride he hus in his ain leid. Ah’ll quote a swatch frae ain o Jack’s pieces oanline, but the full thing is weel warth seekin oot!

Ah raicently gien a talk tae a room fou o Scots sheriffs anent Scots language in the law, an here is Jack Capener threipin oan the samen theme;

“Scots speakers in aw wauks o life aften feel marginalised an excluded fir speakin their mither tongue. Bit legal academia is an orra ensaumple, acause it’s actually stappit fou wi Scots wirds an phrases.

Hae a swatch at coort records an ye’ll dootlessly fin property lawyers yaisin wirds like “dispone” an “eik”. The wird ‘hamesucken’ (an aggravatit form o assault) is weel kent amang criminal lawyers. The auld Scots “umquhile” is yaised fir tae refer tae a deid, respeckit fellae, an “thole” e’en maks an appearance in criminal procedur. Forby, thair’s gey few legal academics thit dinnae ken the famous last wirds o Lord Kames afore he retired fae the Coort o Session: “Fare ye aa weel, ye bitches!”

Mibbie yin day, when A’m wantin tae say, “It’s a sair fecht” tae ither academics, A’ll be able tae dae sae wioot fashin massel thit it’ll gar folk look doon on iz. Yin day folk’ll unnerstaun thit haein the Scots is a gift tae cherish an be prood o. Anely then will folk tak the nixt step an aiblins ettle at lairnin it themsels. An whit a day that’ll be!”

Weel said Jack Capener!!

Meanwhiles, Dr Michael Dempster, current director o the Scots Language Centre gies us his ootsettin o the state o things;

“Hit’s a braw tim fir the visibility o oor Scots language the noo. Wi ower 1.5 mulȝeon fowk reportin thit they spik Scots at the 2011 census there, hit’s aften heard athort Scotland, an noo hit’s increasinly oot in public.

The SLC are supportin the 2021 census wi oor furthcomin Scots language awareness raisin materials.

Septemmer seen the first extensive digital map o Scotland in Scots launched bi the Scots Language Centre (www.scotslanguage.com/scots-maps), Creative Scotland’s first Scots Gaitherin – Scots language in the airts an education conference, wi support fae Education Scotland, an the inaugural Scots Language Awards haadit at the Mitchell Library in Glesga.

The Scots Gaitherin seen the launch o the Open University’s free Scots Language an Culture coorse, wi modules wrote bi a wheen o kenspeckilt fowk active in Scots.

In Septemmer throu October there been the launch o a campaign fir tae bring forret a Scots Language Buird, Oor vyce, an the assent o Jack Capener an Charlotte Armitage’s motion at the SNP conference cryin fir sic a buird.

Emma an Joan, amang ithers, is luikin fir tae bring back the Cross Pairty Group on the Scots Language. The Scots Language Centre is gey chuffed at aw this spikk anent wir leid, an we will aye be gled fir tae len wir hauns in support o aa efforts tae heeze up Scots.”

Tae paraphrase Burns – “Wi friens lik these new Scotia’s grandeur springs!”. The Lion o the Scots leid hus aye its roar yet!